Final answer:
PPE is primarily used in healthcare facilities to protect both staff and clients from mutual infection. It includes items like gloves, masks, and gowns, essential for safe clinical work and preventing disease transmission.
Step-by-step explanation:
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used in health care facilities primarily to protect both the staff and clients from becoming infected by one another. This includes a variety of items such as gloves, masks, gowns, and face shields that create barriers against pathogens. PPE is essential not only for maintaining a sterile environment in places like operating rooms, but also for preventing the transmission of infectious diseases in various clinical settings.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers relied heavily on PPE to avoid transmitting the virus among each other and to patients. Moreover, specialized environments such as BSL-4 laboratories require PPE with advanced features, such as suits with their own air supply, to protect against highly infectious agents.
Proper usage of PPE is also crucial for minimizing surface and equipment contamination, as well as enforcing strict hygiene practices. While protecting health and preventing the spread of infection is the foremost purpose, PPE also indirectly shields healthcare facilities from potential legal liabilities associated with nosocomial infections.